BATON ROUGE – LSU takes its No. 1 ranking on the road for the first time this year as the top-ranked Tigers travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee in a key Southeastern Conference matchup between teams from opposite divisions.
Kickoff between the Tigers and the Vols is scheduled for 2:39 p.m. CT. The game will be televised nationally on CBS with Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Tracy Wolfson on the call.
The game will also be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network with former broadcaster of the year Jim Hawthorne, former Tiger great Doug Moreau, and former LSU special teams extraordinaire Gordy Rush on the call.
LSU, winners of all six of its game by double-figures, brings a 6-0 overall record and a 3-0 league mark into the contest. The Tigers are coming off an impressive 41-11 win over 17th-ranked Florida last week in Tiger Stadium, LSU’s fourth win over a ranked opponent this year.
LSU goes into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Associated Press poll for the third-straight week, the longest run by the Tigers since the 1959 season. LSU is 16-3 all-time as the nation’s top-ranked team, which includes a 5-2 mark in road games. LSU is also ranked No. 1 in the Harris Interactive poll and No. 2 behind Oklahoma in the USA Today Coaches poll.
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LSU GameDay Info #1 LSU at Tennessee Ticket Will Call for LSU fans opens at 2 p.m. p.m. ET. at Gate 22 at Neyland Stadium. LSU will wear white jerseys and will occupy the east sideline (opposite press box). TV: CBS (National) Kickoff: 3:39 p.m. ET Driving Directions (Baton Rouge to Knoxville, Tenn. — 657 mi.; 10h, 26m) |
Tennessee goes into the game looking for its first league win as the Vols are 3-2 overall and 0-2 in conference action. The Vols, who have been decimated by injuries through the first half of the season, are coming off a 20-12 setback to Georgia last week.
The Vols are coached by former LSU assistant Derek Dooley, who is in his second year in Knoxville. Dooley coached at LSU from 2000-04 helping the Tigers to a pair of SEC titles in 2001 and 2003 as well as the school’s first national title in nearly 50 years in 2003.
In addition to its seven-game overall winning streak, LSU has won five-straight against the SEC Eastern Division, just one victory shy of tying the school record. Since going to divisional format in 1992, LSU has never gone 3-0 against teams from the other half of the league in consecutive years. A win over Tennessee will change that as the Tigers are 2-0 this year after winning all three games against teams from the SEC East last season.
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Last year, LSU used a 1-yard run by Stevan Ridley with no time left on the clock to beat Tennessee, 16-14, in Baton Rouge.
“We’ve had a good week of practice,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “The focus and intensity continues to be good at practice. I enjoy the way this team comes to practice each day with the want to get better and with a purpose. We understand that you have to be ready to play – both mentally and physically – for 60 minutes each week in this league if you are going to have success.”
LSU goes to Knoxville with a roster of players who have never played in Neyland Stadium. LSU’s last trip to Knoxville came in 2006 and the Tigers’ current defensive coordinator John Chavis was serving in the same capacity that day for the Vols. LSU won that game 28-24 courtesy of a last-minute TD drive. LSU’s only other win in Knoxville came in 1988 when the Tigers posted a 34-9 victory.
The Tigers go into the Tennessee game riding a defense that ranks among the top 10 in the nation in four categories: rushing (4th at 69.2 yards per game), scoring (8th at 12.5 ppg), total defense (5th at 254.0 ypg) and pass efficiency (4th). LSU has also forced 13 turnovers this year and they have allowed just one team to reach the 100-yard rushing mark.
Tyrann Mathieu, who has become known nationally as the Honey Badger, continues to lead the Tigers on defense with 46 tackles. He also ranks first in the SEC in both fumbles forced (4) and fumble recoveries (3). Mathieu has forced a turnover in three-straight games, and in his 19-game LSU career, the sophomore has accounted for 10 takeaways (6 fumbles, 4 interceptions.)
Other defensive standouts for the Tigers include safety Brandon Taylor (34 tackles, 2 interceptions), defensive end Sam Montgomery (21 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks), and defensive tackle Bennie Logan (22 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks).
Offensively, LSU has thrived on a balance attack, one that has the Tigers averaging 183.5 yards passing a game and 183.3 yards rushing a contest. For the first time in school history, LSU has scored 35 or more points in five of its first six games and the Tigers are averaging 38.5 points per game.
LSU has also taken advantage of its ability to take care of the football as the Tigers have turned the ball over just three times (2 fumbles, 1 interception) all season. LSU’s three turnovers tie with Texas Tech as the fewest in the nation. LSU hasn’t turned the ball over since the fourth quarter of the Mississippi State game, a stretch that spans 38 possessions, 208 plays, and 105 minutes and 58 seconds of possession time.
Senior quarterback Jarrett Lee continues to be the catalyst for the offense as he’s completed 60 percent of his passes (71-of-118) for 947 yards, eight TDs and just one interception. Lee’s 8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio leads the SEC. Fellow senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson will see spot duty for the Tigers on Saturday against the Vols.
Lee’s top targets have been junior Rueben Randle (23 catches, 446 yards, 4 TDs) and true freshman Odell Beckham Jr. (20 catches, 268 yards, 2 TDs).
Sophomore Spencer Ware, with his bullish running style, leads the Tigers and ranks among the league leaders in rushing with 432 yards and five scores. Ware has rushed for 100 yards twice this year and he’s gone over the 90-yard mark four times. Ware is coming off a career-best 109 yards and two TDs in last week’s win over Florida.
Ware is joined in the backfield by Alfred Blue (218 yards, 4 TDs) and Michael Ford (324 yards, 6 TDs).
The Tigers will face a Vols offense that has lost two of their better players in recent weeks – quarterback Tyler Bray (broken thumb last week vs. Georgia) and wide receiver Justin Hunter (torn ACL vs. Florida
). Bray, who leads the SEC in nearly every passing category, will be replaced in the lineup by senior Matt Simms. Simms started last year against LSU and nearly led the Vols to the upset win over the Tigers in Tiger Stadium.
Running back Tauren Poole is expected to be back in action on Saturday after missing most of last week’s game with a hamstring injury. Poole leads the Vols with 325 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, the Vols feature a lineup that starts six freshmen or sophomores, including a pair of true freshmen linebackers in A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt. The Vols, who are allowing 20.4 points and 343.8 yards per game (139.6 rushing, 204.2 passing), are led on the defensive side of the ball by safety Prentiss Waggner (26 tackles, 5 PBUs) and linebacker Ausin Johnson (34 tackles).